Addition of Intrathecal Magnesium Sulfate to Bupivacaine for Spinal Anesthesia in Cesarean Section

Study answer

What this study found

Intrathecal magnesium sulfate did not provide a meaningful overall benefit for cesarean spinal anesthesia. It delayed sensory block onset versus control (P = 0.01) but did not improve motor block onset (P = 0.56), regression of four sensory blocks (P = 0.19), or produce a clearly significant extension of analgesia (P = 0.07). Heart rate and systolic blood pressure were similar between groups, and nausea/vomiting occurred in 3 patients in the magnesium sulfate group versus 1 in control; no neurologic deficits were observed and Apgar scores were similar. The authors concluded that adding…

Study & population

Adults aged 18 to 35 years with ASA class I-II status undergoing cesarean section under spinal anesthesia were studied in Iran.

Intervention

A single intrathecal dose of magnesium sulfate 50 mg was added to hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% 10 mg for spinal anesthesia during cesarean section.

Key limitation

The evaluation was limited to a single perioperative intrathecal dose in generally healthy ASA I-II cesarean patients, so generalizability is narrow.

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Original abstract